Coronavirus Update: U.S. Covid-19 Cases Swell Past 12 Million

Over the weekend, the U.S. hit another grim milestone, reporting more than 12 million Covid-19 cases nationwide. The country recorded more than 200,000 infections between Friday and Saturday. The death toll in the U.S. has surpassed more than 255,000.

More than 40 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are experiencing a rise in cases from over the past 14 days, prompting several governors to renew mask mandates and limits on social gatherings to fight further spread of the virus.

In a desperate attempt to remedy the crisis, seven governors penned an opinion piece for The Washington Post, urging Americans to stay at home for Thanksgiving while working together to curb the spread of the virus.

“Right now, cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing in the Midwest and across the country. As the weather gets colder and more people head inside, it will get worse. It is more important than ever that we double down on mask-wearing and physical distancing to help more people get through the winter and protect those on the front lines of this crisis — our doctors, nurses, grocery store workers and truck drivers,” they wrote.

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC

The coronavirus crisis continues to hit the White House and the Republican party. Late Friday, Trump family associates announced that Donald Trump Jr. tested positive for Covid-19 at the beginning of the week and has been “quarantining at his cabin” since his diagnosis.

Housing Secretary Ben Carson is crediting an unapproved, experimental botanical treatment after he says he became “desperately ill” following his Covid-19 infection earlier this month. There is no medical evidence that the treatments Carson cited worked.

Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler tested positive for Covid-19, but another test came back as inconclusive on Saturday night. After being retested on Saturday, her test came back negative. Loeffler, who is campaigning for a January 5 runoff election against Democratic challenger, Rev. Rafael Warnock, has recently attended events with Vice President Mike Pence and Senator David Perdue without wearing a mask.

California began its statewide curfew for residents over the weekend as a surge in coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm health care systems. The latest month long curfew requires people to stay home from 10 pm. To 5 a.m. unless they are responding to an emergency, shopping for or picking up food or walking their dogs. The curfew, authorities say, is aimed at keeping people from socializing and drinking amid the pandemic.

United and Southwest airlines say more travelers are canceling trips as the U.S. experiences a surge in coronavirus cases. The number of people flying in the U.S. has dropped about 65% from last year around this time and airlines were hoping that the upcoming holidays would bring people back to flying. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving.

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